Bedspring



May 10, 1938.

- D. c. TRAvlsf 2,116,588

BEDS PRING Filed June 13, 1935 Patented May 10, 1938 UNITED STATES BEDSPRJNG Don Carlos Travis, Kenosha, Wis., assignor to Simmons Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 13, 1935, Serial No. 26,330

' v claims. (ci. 5.-267) This invention relates to` bed springs and its principal objects are to provide an improved bed spring structure which will afford a desirable degree of resiliency or softness but which will be substantially free from` objectionable sidesway; to provide a structure in which certain relatively moving parts are interconnected to maintain a predetermined relation, the connection being effected in a manner to preventI the production of ml'scratching or squeaking noises and to prevent scratching of one part by the other as an incident to relative movement between such parts; to provide an improved structure which may be commercially produced on a large scale and economically at a low cost, and in general, it is they object of this invention to provide an improved bed spring. i

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following speciiication and accompanying drawing, in

which a bed spring structure embodying a selected form of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawing: l

Fig.1isap1an.` A e Figs 2 and 3 are sections respectively on the lines 2--2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 being approximately twice the size of the actual structure.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3, and f Fig. 5 is a perspective illustrating a detail of construction.

Referring now to the drawing, the bedspring herein illustrated includes an upper border frame I0 preferably formed of angle iron and a lower border frame II also preferably formed of angle iron. The lower border frame II is preferably arranged with its ilanges disposed horizontally and vertically, the vertical flange extending from the inner edge of the horizontal iiange. Spring supports such as indicated at I2 are secured at their ends to oppositely disposed lower border frame portions, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 2, and axially vertical coil springs are supported on said springsupports I2 in the more or less conventional manner.

The outermost or border springs designated I3 have their top coils suitably anchored to the upper border frame I0. In thisiinstance, the upper border frame IIJ is preferably arranged with its 60 anges arranged horizontally and vertically, the vertical ange depending from the outer edge of the horizontal flange. Thelsaid top coils of the border springs I3 may convenientlybe connected to saidupper border frame by providing such top i coils with ears or loops I4 which extend under the horizontal ilange of the top border frame and are rigidly anchored thereto by such means as rivets as indicated at I5.

Other axially vertical coil springs designated I6 are also supported by the spring supports I2 5% and the springs I6 are arranged in rows which extend both longitudinally and Vtransversely of the bedspring, and hence in rows which extend transversely of each other. The rows of inner springs I6 are also arranged in alignment with l0 oppositely -disposed border springs which, as above stated, are anchored to the top border frame.

The axially vertical springs preferably have certain coils intermediate their upper and lower ends connected by tie wires or the like, such as 16 indicated at Il, and these connections may be of any conventional form suitably attached tothe respective spring coils. Said ties Il may extend either longitudinally or transversely of the bedspring or some may be provided in each direction. 261i The top coils of the inner springs I6 and the border springs I3 are preferably connected by means of pairs of crossed helicals designated I8, said crossed helicals being preferably interlaced and provided at their ends with hooks for en- 25 gaging the respective top coils. Said crossed helicals serve to resiliently connect the upper ends of the springs so as to yieldingly maintain the samein Substantially xed relation and they also serve to provide support for bedding intermediate 30 C the top coils of thesprings.

To more effectively support the inner springs I6 against lateral movement or sidesway and to provide additional supporting area for bedding,

there are provided a plurality of thin, nexible, 35V` diate` oppositely disposed border springs. 40

In this instance, straps extending transversely of the bedspring are designated I9 and straps extending longitudinally of the bedspring are designated 2U. Each of the straps I9 and 29 terminates short of the oppositely disposed border springs with which it is aligned, and each strap has its ends resiliently or yieldingly connected to the top coilof such aligned border springs by means of a, helical spring 2I. The springs ZI are 50 provided with hooked ends adapted to hook over the respective top coils and to engage in suitable apertures provided in the ends of the respective straps. It will be evident that the straps I9 and 20 will yieldingly resist lateral Ymovement by rea- 55 son of their resilient end connections to the an chored top coils of the border springs.

The longitudinally extending straps 20 are preferably secured to some of the top coils which they overlie. Such connections may be formed by means of wire loops designated 22 which extend through suitably spaced apertures provided in the straps 20 and around the adjacent portion of the top coil of a spring I6. The straps may be connected to each top coil, but such connections to three or four springs in the row give excellent results.

The transversely extending straps I9 may be and preferably are free from direct connection to the springs which they overlie, but they -are preferably slidably connected to the longitudinally extending straps 29, so as to maintain the straps I9 and 2U in substantially coplanar relation and to prevent relative movement from and toward each other which might tend to-produce objectionable noises.

In this instance such sliding connection between the straps I9 and 20 is effected by pressing relatively narrow, elongated portions of the straps 20 to form eyes through which the straps I9 may pass. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the eyes are formed by longitudinally slitting the straps 20 at transversely spaced points designated 23 intermediate thewidth of the strap and pressing the intermediate narrow portion designated 24 from the plane of the strap into relatively spaced relation thereto.

'Ihe narrow portion 24 and the remaining rela- Ytively narrow portions designated 25 and 26 of `the strap 20 on opposite sides of the intermediate portion 24, are preferably treated so as to prevent scratching of the transversely extending member I9 incident to its movement in the eye. In this instance such treatment consists in so shaping said narrow portion transversely as to provide "rounded or smoothed surfaces free from sharp edges for contacting the opposite sides of the strap I9. As clearly shown in Fig. fl, the intermediate portion 24 may be arranged transversely so that its centrally located portion is spaced "from the plane of its side edges 21 which may be quite sharp. The oppositely, disppsed narrow portions 25 and 26 may be provided with the pressed elongated, transversely rounded portions 28, 28, the bearing surfaces of which areralso spaced from the relatively sharp side edges of said narrow portions. By the described arrangement, the slidably connected strap portions are provided with non-scratching bearing surfaces.

55.; The last described feature is particularly advantageous, especially in respect of the protection afforded the top surface of the straps I9 which are plainly visible to a prospective pur- Chaser of a bedspring. In some instances, the straps I9 and 29 may have polished surfaces and in some instances they may be coated with lacquer or other material of pleasing color. As a prac-tical matter, the manufacturer of bedsprings finds it convenient to purchase the strap material from the producer thereof polished or colored as desired. In the assembling of such polished or colored straps, especially in the sliding connection described, the provision of the described non-scratching arrangement is especially advanltageous in that the bedspring manufacturer is enabled to go about the work of assembling said parts without the exercise of extreme caution to prevent scratching of the parts as an incident to the assembling operation. Hence, the percentage of perfect, salable bedspring structures pro- Y difficult mechanical operations.

duced in any given period of time is considerably increased by the described structure.

As indicated in Fig. 3, the length of the eye is preferably nearly twice the width of the strap which extends through the eye, so that limited lateral movement of the strap in the eye is permitted. It will, however, be evident that the extent of such movement may be enlarged or diminished as desired. The straps 20 which control the limited lateral movement of the straps l I9 may be referred to as spacer straps to distinguish them from the straps I 9.

Y The described structure obviously involves no The production of the eyelet arrangement described is a simple lpunch-press operation and the parts may be readily so formed in the punching as to produce as loose or tight connection between the straps as may be desired. Preferably the connection is such that the straps may freely slide transversely of `each other, but may not move toward and from each other so as to avoid the possible production of noise which might occur by frequent disengagement and re-engagement of the straps.

Changes in the described structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope 0f which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

1. A bedspring having a plurality of axially vertical coil springs arranged in transversely extending rows, and provided with thin, flexible, metallic straps supported so as to respectively overlie said spring rows and extending transversely of each other, one of said straps having a longitudinally extending, narrow elongated portion intermediate its width, severed along its sides from the strap but having its ends integrally connected to the strap, said narrow elongated portion being pressed from the strap into spaced relation thereto to form an eye, a-transversely extending strap being slidably disposed in said eye and thereby maintained in substantially coplanar relation to the other strap, the opposed inner surfaces of the portions of said strap which dene said eye being transversely arched so as to provide a nonscratching bearing surface for engaging the transversely extending strap member disposed therein.

2. In a bedspring, the combination of a border frame, a plurality of axially vertical coil springs arranged in transversely extending rows within said border frame, a plurality of thin, flexible, metallic straps respectively overlying said spring rows and extending transversely of each other, certain of said straps having a longitudinally extending, narrow, elongated portion intermediate its width, severed along its sides from the strap but having its ends integrally connected to the strap, said narrow, elongated portion being pressed from the strap into spaced relation thereto to form an eye, a transversely extending strap being disposed for slidable movement within said eye and thereby maintained in substantially coplanar relation to the other strap, the surface of said narrow, elongated portion which engages the transversely extending strap being curved and said strap in which .said eye is formed having rib-like projections, which extend longitudinally along the sides of said eye portion, formed integrally therewith, said curved surface and said rib-like projections forming opposed bearing surfaces which prevent scratching of the engaging portions of said straps during use of the spring.

3. In a bedspring, the combination of a border frame, a plurality of axially vertical coil springs arranged in rows within said frame, and a plurality of thin, flexible, metallic straps some of which extend transversely to each other overlying said spring rows, at least some of said straps being provided with a centrally disposed, relatively narrow, elongated struck-dut portion adapted to form an eye for receiving and positioning one of the transversely extending straps, the surfaces of said struck-out portion which engage the strap positioned therein being arched so as to define a bearing surface, and the side portions of the strap adjacent said struck-out portion being provided with ribs adapted to cooperate with said arched surface to dei-lne an anti-friction connection between said eye and the transversely extending strap which is engaged thereby.

4. In a bedspring having a plurality of axially vertical coil springs arranged in transversely extending rows, a plurality of thin, flexible, metallic straps overlying said spring rows and extending generally transversely of each other, at least one of said straps being provided with an elongated eye formed integrally therewith and extending longitudinally of the strap, a transversely extending strap being slidably disposed in said eye and both of said straps being thereby maintained in substantially co-planar relation during the use of said bedspring, at least a portion of the opposed surfaces of said eye which engage said transversely extending strap being arched so as to prevent stratching of the slidably disposed strap as an incident to movement thereof through said eye.

5. In a bedspring, the combination of a border frame, a plurality of axially vertical coil springs arranged in transversely extending rows within said border frame, and a plurality of thin, exible metallic straps respectively overlying said spring rows and extending transversely of each other, each of certain of said straps having a longitudinally extending, narrow, elongated portion intermediate its width, severed along its sides from the strap but having its ends integrally connected to the strap, said narrow, elongated portion being pressed from said strap into spaced relation thereto to form an eye, a transversely extending strap being disposed for slidable movement within each of said eyes, the surface of each narrow, elongated portion which engages the transversely extending strap being arched, and each of said straps in which said eyes are formed being provided with projections adjacent said severed portion which dene bearing surfaces opposing the arched surface of said severed portion.

6. In a lattice construction adapted to overlie the vertical coil springs of a bedspring, a plurality of thin, flexible, metallic springs arranged in transversely extending rows, at least some of said straps being provided with struck-out portions of substantially less width than the width of the strap wherein such portions are formed for defining eyes for receiving the transversely extending straps, the opposed surfaces of each of said struck-out portions and the adjacent side portions of the strap in which it is formed being arched in order to provide bearing surfaces which prevent scratching of the strap positioned therebetween during use of said construction.

7. In a strap construction for use in conjunction with bedsprings or the like, a pair of thin, flexible, metallic straps which extend transversely of each other, one of said straps having a longitudinally extending, relatively narrow portion intermediate its width, severed along its sides from the strap but having its ends integrally connected to the strap, said narrow, elongated portion being pressed from the strap into spaced relation thereto to form an eye for receiving said transversely extending strap, the surface of said narrow, elongated portion which engages the transversely extending strap being arched, and said strap in which said eye is formed being provided with ribs which extend longitudinally along the sides of said narrow, elongated portion.

DON CARLOS TRAVIS. 

